Many fruits and vegetables are stored in clusters in bowls, bins or baskets prior to consumption by a consumer. Problems arise in storing fruits and vegetables in this manner because the items touch one another, air is not allowed to freely circulate around the items, and all of the items do not have equal, free access to sunlight. Some fruits and vegetables which are subject to problems due to cluster storage include apples, oranges, peaches, pears, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and bell peppers. One problem is that many fruits and vegetables which touch one another often rot at the point where contact is made between items. Some fruits and vegetables will also rot at the point of contact with the bowl, bin, basket or other container. Another problem is that many fruits and vegetables need exposure to sunlight to ripen while being stored. Fruits and vegetables which are intended to ripen by exposure to sunlight will ripen better if all items have equal access to sunlight. Each stored item will also ripen more evenly if none of its surfaces are shadowed by another item. An additional problem in cluster storage is that gases are often emitted from ripening fruits and vegetables. When fruits and vegetables are stored in extremely close proximity, and especially when touching one another, gases from one fruit may permeate another fruit affecting the ripening rate for the second fruit and also affecting taste of the second fruit due to the absorption of gases from the first fruit. Another problem in cluster storage is that touching, restricted air circulation, and restricted sunlight often promote infestation of the fruits and vegetables by bugs or the growth of mold or mildew. Still another problem of cluster storage is that it is more difficult to control the environmental temperature for fruits that are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
Many of the problems associated with cluster storage of fruits and vegetables also occur in the cluster storage of plant bulbs and similar articles. In particular, it is often necessary to store plant bulbs in a cool environment away from sunlight without one bulb touching another bulb. Thus, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a means for storing fruits, vegetables and similar articles without touching one another, without touching similar or like articles, without touching a container which promotes rotting, without limiting the circulation of air around the item, and without limiting access of the item to sunlight.